ASCPCR concerned over safety of adolescents & kids in Baghjan relief camps

A CORRESPONDENT

DOOMDOOMA: The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) has expressed serious concern over the care and safety of the children, adolescents, mothers and pregnant women taking shelter at various relief camps due to the Baghjan gas well tragedy.

In a letter to the CMD of Oil India Limited, Sushil Kumar Mishra on June 12, ASCPCR chairperson Dr Sunita Changkakoti urged his immediate intervention to ensure care and safety of pregnant women and children living in the relief camps. She also urged the OIL CMD to provide adequate care, nutritional food and medical support for the pregnant women, provide sanitary napkins and toiletries to the adolescent girls living in the camps and adequate medicine and baby food for babies living in the camps.

To verify physically whether these facilities were provided in the camps, Pilu Hazarika, a member of the ASCPCR, visited seven relief camps in Baghjan area along with Child Protection Officer, Tinsukia, Nirupam Chutia and social worker of District Child Protection Unit, Shyam Upadhyay on Wednesday. During this visit, the ASCPCR member found that the supply of baby food, nutritional food for pregnant women and children and medical support for pregnant women in some of the relief camps were inadequate. Moreover, the ASCPCR member expressed dissatisfaction over the safety measures of the adolescent girls living in the camps.

ASCPCR member Pilu Hazarika expressed serious concern over the matter and said that the commission would write to the OIL authority and the Tinsukia district administration to provide these facilities adequately in those relief camps.

Meanwhile, survey for compensation to the affected people was taken up in the Baghjan area on Wednesday. Officials of OIL, district administration and the representatives of Baghjan Gaon Milanjyoti Yuva Sangha conducted this survey.

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